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Food forms an integral part of a culture, and here in Malacca it’s no different: food is definitely a serious business. With centuries’ old culture, Malacca is a haven for Chinese, Malay and Peranakan dishes, and if you’re looking for a plethora of flavours and unusual dishes to taste, you’ve come to the right place. Here we list five of the best only-in-Malacca dishes, together with the best places to get them, so you can never be hungry when you’re in this part of the world.

If you fancy the Hainanese chicken rice, then you’re going to love the chicken rice balls even more. Ideal for breakfast (yes, even as the first meal of the day) and lunch, these chicken rice balls are served are like your typical chicken rice dish, except that the chicken served is only steamed and the rice comes in a golf-sized ball shapes. No questions which one do we favour more though – obviously the cute dish over the plain one!

Address: Chung Wah Chicken Rice Balls, 18, Jalan Hang Jebat, Malacca

Tel: +606 286 0121

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Coconut Shake

Malacca’s own brand of thirst quencher is its special coconut shake, and it isn’t hard to see why it ‘s a favourite. Only available in Klebang Beach, the shake is an ingenious drink made with everything coconut – coconut water and flesh gets blended with ice to produce it, and if you need something sweet, you can opt for a dollop of vanilla ice-cream on top. The queue for this delicious drink can be insane, but it’s definitely worth the wait. A refreshing treat, especially on a hot sunny day!

A Malaccan speciality, satay celup is basically a fondue-like dish comprising of skewered pieces of meat and vegetables that you dip into a communal pot (built into the round table) of thick, rich but spicy peanut sauce. The gravy is boiling hot, so it ‘cooks’ the pieces of raw meat, tofu, prawns and vegetables to your liking – simply leave it in for as long as you like.

Peranakan/Nyonya dishes

Peranakan dishes are certainly a must-have when you’re in Malacca, which is the birthplace of the Peranakan race. To be enjoyed with a plate of warm white rice, unique dishes such as sek bak (braised pork) and ikan goreng cili garam (deep-fried fish with spicy chilli paste) are known to be spicy, yet flavoursome, and definitely considered a specialty on this side of the world. For a list of places to try out these dishes, check out our ‘Five Great Nyonya Restaurants’ page.

Durian Cendol

Sure, Malaysians love durian, but Malaccans love it even more! The ‘king of fruit’ gets infused in the quintessential Malaysian dessert, cendol (green worm-like jelly made of rice flour), and the result is more than heavenly – a blend of rich, sweet, cream, all in a bowl of shaved ice. Even if you’re not a fan of the aromatic fruit, definitely give this a go, especially in hot weather, we promise you, it’s a definite charmer!

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